37. The last day of the feast came. It was the most important day. On that day Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
38. If a person believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from his heart. This is what the Scripture says.”
39. Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been raised to glory. But later, those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit.
40. The people heard these things that Jesus said. Some of them said, “This man really is the Prophet.”
41. Others said, “He is the Christ.”Still others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee.
42. The Scripture says that the Christ will come from David’s family. And the Scripture says that the Christ will come from Bethlehem, the town where David lived.”
43. So the people did not agree with each other about Jesus.
44. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one was able to touch him.
45. The Temple guards went back to the leading priests and the Pharisees. The priests and the Pharisees asked, “Why didn’t you bring Jesus?”
46. The Temple guards answered, “The things he says are greater than the words of any man!”
47. The Pharisees answered, “So Jesus has fooled you too!
48. Have any of the leaders or the Pharisees believed in him? No!
49. But those people, who know nothing about the law, are under God’s curse!”
50. But Nicodemus was there in that group. He was the one who had gone to see Jesus before. Nicodemus said,
51. “Our law does not judge a man without hearing him. We cannot judge him until we know what he has done.”